The modern world, from Charlemagne to the present time; with a preliminary survey of ancient times . rrender of their privileges. Meantimethe financial situation of the government became so desperatethat something had to be done to avert a catastrophe. D. Attempts at Reform 525. One of the few that had sincerely at heart the welfareof the nation was King Louis XVI (§ 513). But his weakness and indecision was almostas harmful as his prede-cessors wickedness. Heabandoned the wisestmeasures and the bestministers rather than facethe sour looks of his cour-tiers or the pouts of thequeen. The latter
The modern world, from Charlemagne to the present time; with a preliminary survey of ancient times . rrender of their privileges. Meantimethe financial situation of the government became so desperatethat something had to be done to avert a catastrophe. D. Attempts at Reform 525. One of the few that had sincerely at heart the welfareof the nation was King Louis XVI (§ 513). But his weakness and indecision was almostas harmful as his prede-cessors wickedness. Heabandoned the wisestmeasures and the bestministers rather than facethe sour looks of his cour-tiers or the pouts of thequeen. The latter, MarieAntoinette, a daughter ofthe great Maria The-resa, was far more ener-getic than her husband,but, being a foreigner andan Austrian, she was un-popular and unable tounderstand the characterof the French people. She had great influence with the king,and some of his most imprudent measures were due to her-advice. 526. Turgot. — When Louis came to the throne the nationaldebt amounted to some five hundred million dollars and it wasincreased each year by ten millions more. The king began well. Marie Antoinette and Her Children.— From a painting by Mme. Le Brun. §528] ATTEMPTS AT REFORM 525 by appointing Turgot as minister of finance, an able and ex-perienced administrator. The new minister abolished theforced labor of the peasants and some of the interior custom also cut down the frivolous expenses of the court and cur-tailed remorselessly the long pension lists. Then he plannedmore far-reaching reforms — to recast the whole system oftaxation, to equalize the burdens, and to introduce a scheme ofpublic education. A whole pacific French Revolution wasin that head, says Carlyle. But the courtiers looked black;the queen hated the reformer who interfered with her pleasures,and so Louis grew cold and dismissed the man who might havesaved France from a revolution of violence (1776). In one ofhis last letters Turgot warned the king prophetically: Itwas weakness, Sire,
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